


Welcome to the Fox Den

by celestial_seraphim



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse, hopefully going to keep continuing this one, it's mostly all the characters i'm not gonna tag them all lol, my first aftg fic yayyy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:29:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23625412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_seraphim/pseuds/celestial_seraphim
Summary: Ever since the undead virus decimated the world, everyone found their old lives vanish before them. Some were devastated, while others thankful: heaven or hell depending on the person. After getting separated from his mom, Neil found himself totally alone and trying to live by the rules she reinforced into him. The life on the run and dodging zombies that he knew changed suddenly when he accidentally ran in front of an SUV in the blur of almost getting devoured. He now finds himself in one of the many safe havens groups of people had formed: The Fox Den. But, to Neil, it's one of the most dangerous places he could be. To him, the people were more of a threat than the zombies.
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

It was the same scene as always: a burned out town that looked like everyone had packed up and left overnight. That was possibly close to the truth. After all, once the undead virus had taken most of the world, everything fell to ruin quickly. It was like watching a train crash. It was something everyone could see coming, approaching seemingly slowly in the distance. Everyone thought there’d be more time, that they could stand on the tracks just a bit longer, but inevitably, the train arrived with the screech of metal and blaring of the horn. Those who were lucky, made it out, retreating to small groups, communities that a few had managed to forge, or stalking off by themselves. There is truth to disaster bringing people together. That’s what most did; however, those who craved chaos and suffering were in a paradise. Now, there were no laws to stop crime groups, not that they even stopped them in the first place. One could either find themselves in a group and protected or in a complete nightmare. 

Then, there was Neil. For a while, he had his mom. His own survival skills were little to none, but luckily, he had her. But now..well, he was on his own for the first time. This whole apocalypse thing had her even more worried. They had already been running from his serial killer father, and now, there was nothing besides the zombies standing in his way. At night, Neil found himself waking violently and expecting to see his father standing over him with an ax in his hands. But it was always just the dilapidated ceiling of some building or the night sky above him. He wasn’t even sure if his mom was even alive. He didn’t watch her die but..the last thing he had seen was her running from the hoard while Neil was sprinting the other way. 

With a sigh, Neil leaned against a building, feeling the rough wood digging into his skin through his shirt. It stung his eyes to look up at all at the clear blue skies above and the sun beaming down harshly. His initial scan of the town saw no sign of another person, but of course, zombies could still be a threat, possibly still trapped within the buildings. Brandishing a police baton he had taken off of a body, he held it at the ready as he slowly wandered down the empty main road. 

It all went as it usually did: starting with a grocery store to see what food he could possibly salvage, drug store, etc. He managed to grab a few useful things, though it looked like he hadn’t been the only one through here. The known sanctuaries probably had raid groups that had this spot on their route until it was depleted. Neil watched each pebble he kicked as he walked back down the road, rolling until they eventually stopped. There was something relaxing about the sound of the gravel beneath his shoes. The crunch was some sound to fill the never ending silence. Neil hardly thought about it as he adjusted his backpack and let the baton click clack against a fence. The silence was replaced by the clanging of metal against metal. At the sound of a familiar groan, Neil froze. 

“Shit,” Neil muttered. He dreaded turning around, but he managed it ever so slowly. It was like he had suddenly woken up a whole zombie neighborhood with multiple ones limping and walking out of houses. He must’ve gotten extremely lucky with the few houses he had looked into. As the group of them got closer and closer, Neil finally slammed a fist down on one of his legs to get himself going. It was time to do the one thing he was good at. As if a string snapped, the zombies who could do it broke into a run as well like wolves after their prey. Neil made a beeline for the main road out of town, having to zig zag past a few stray zombies while being pursued. 

After a while, the scenery was like a blurt to Neil as he ran with tears forming at the corners of his eyes, panting breath hot from his lips. They’d tire eventually. They always did; however, unlike other locations, this one was all flat land and plains with no forest he could dart into. Though, there were plenty of crop fields to utilize. Managing to take a short breath and ignore the burning in his sides, he turned on his heel into a nearby wheat field. In seconds, all that he could see were golden stalks of wheat whacking him in the face. He could feel the sting on his face at a few cuts, but there was no time to worry about that. Not hearing any grunts or moans, he most likely lost them by now, but he wasn’t about to stop now. He kept going and going even after he made it out of the field. It wasn’t until he heard the screech of rubber against pavement and a blaring horn that he finally skidded to a stop brought to fruition by something massive grazing him and the force knocking him to the ground. His limbs felt numb from exertion. If there was any pain from that, he didn’t feel it. All he saw before he blacked out was a good sized SUV pulling over and the silhouette of someone practically jumping out. 

Nicky had thought it was just another zombie at first: happened all the time. The only thing he worried about with running over zombies was damage to the car. However, there was something different about the way this one had moved that had him worried. 

“Nicky, it was just another zombo. Why are we stopping?” one of the two blondes asked with an annoyed look. 

“Aaron, it could’ve been a person. I have to check. I won’t be long, okay?” Nicky flashed a reassuring smile.   
Just as he feared, he found a guy who was very much alive looking knocked out in the grass. Besides looking a bit beat up, he was at least breathing still and no broken limbs from what Nicky could see besides being a bit scraped up and a sizable bump from the car. Well...he couldn’t just...leave him there. Depending on how long he was out, he would be an easy snack for any zombies. 

Nicky promptly ignored Aaron’s bewildered look as he carried the guy to the car and opened the back door. Luckily, it was just him and Aaron, leaving the backseat completely open. As carefully as he could, he laid him out, even taking the emergency blanket and draping it over him. 

“Really, Nicky? Can we afford a fucking stray right now? What’s the harm in just leaving him as a zombie snack? One less person to worry about,” Aaron groaned, making a show of sitting back and crossing his arms. 

“Aaron! This might be the apocalypse, but we should still help people out. If he doesn’t end up staying, we can at least keep him safe for a while. Not a big deal,” Nicky snapped back, buckling himself back into the driver’s seat. He was thankful Andrew hadn’t ended up going with them. Who knows if he would’ve even let this happen. 

“Fine. He better not end up staying, then.” 

Neil was woken up by the darkness by a sudden splash of ice cold water on his face. Sputtering for breath, he nearly fell off the cot he was on, blinking as he tried to recognize his surroundings. He had expected to see the same sky overhead and be lying on the side of the road, possibly in the process of being devoured. A part of him had kind of hoped he’d just die while being unconscious: no pain, easy.   
Instead, he saw sharp, brown eyes staring right at him. As his vision cleared more, there was a blonde guy sitting right by the cot he was on. So...he had gotten rescued. He could hardly recall the events beforehand. He had been running...then something hit him..a car? 

“Wh..where am I?” he muttered in a low voice that was hardly audible. 

The blonde said nothing as he squinted his eyes even more.   
Another stray. Great. Though, this one seemed interesting with his pale blue eyes and red hair. He looked...Andrew wasn’t about to finish that thought, shaking his head.   
“Well, you’re not dead on the side of a road. Least that’s what Nicky told me. You some kind of dumbass or something? Or maybe you’re one of those types that likes to wander around by themselves and have a field day what with no laws and all that.” 

Neil didn’t quite recognize the slight accent to his voice...west coast maybe? He talked at Neil like he was going to be a problem. Nevertheless, Neil met his stare without looking away, managing to sit up a bit more as he regained strength.   
“A car hit me?” Well, that explained everything. It was answered further by a sharp pain to his shoulder whenever he moved the wrong way. “I was running from zombies. Guess I didn’t see it.” 

A smile spread across Andrew’s face with a hint of amusement. He smoothly leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.   
“Are you a dumbass? This area is completely flat. You trying to tell me you didn’t notice an SUV headed down the road? I know the engine’s loud as fuck, stray.” 

“My name’s Neil.” He wasn’t about to let that nickname become a regular thing. “And I had just gotten out of a wheat field. I was just getting my bearings again.” 

“Oh, of course you were running through a wheat field, of course. Why did I not think of that? Should’ve remembered to look both ways before you crossed the road.” With the demeanor of a bored cat, he slid a knife out of one of the black arm bands he wore, pointing it right at Neil. “Maybe you’re just an adrenaline junkie, junkie. Bet you get a hard on for that kind of danger.” He came dangerously close, enough that Neil could feel the point of the knife almost making contact with his skin. “I’m Andrew, junkie. Do yourself a favor and don’t piss off the guard dog.” 

Without another word, Andrew slid the knife back into the arm band and waltzed on out, being sure to kick the door on his way out.   
Neil blinked as he watched him leave. He had looked rather short sitting down, but it showed when he stood. He couldn’t have been more than five feet tall, not that Neil could really talk just being a few inches taller, but he really had just been threatened by a five foot tall blonde.   
Andrew’s exit was quickly followed by someone else whose brows were drawn tight in a worried expression. Unlike Andrew, this one was much taller with darker skin. He looked like he wanted to reach out for him but managed to keep a bit of distance. 

“Hey, I’m so glad you’re awake! I am soooo sorry I hit you with my car. You just kinda ran out into the road, and I tried to swerve out of the way the best I could, really! You’re not hurt too badly, are you?” His voice was soft and gentle, though Neil did notice his eyes looking him over. 

“My shoulder hurts a bit, but that’s it,” Neil said, adjusting himself a bit as the cot creaked. 

“Oh, thank god! I was so worried! So glad I didn’t mess up your pretty face either,” he said with a wink that Neil met with a blank stare, though there was just a hint of blush on his cheeks. He had been alone for so long that interacting with other people was...something, though another part of him was a bit grateful at running into people who weren’t trying to kill him, besides Andrew. 

“Yeah, just a graze. No big deal. So, um...I should be good to go. Just need to eat, then I can get out of your guys’ place,” Neil said as he cleared his throat. Actually being around people was both nice and a little scary to say the least. He had no idea where he was or who else was here, but every instinct was telling him to keep running. He watched as Nicky’s smile slowly devolved into a disappointed frown. 

“I understand. You can at least let us feed you before you go, okay? I wanna make sure you’re good to go out there,” he finally said after a few seconds. He offered Neil his hand, but when he saw he wasn’t going to take it, nodded and backed off a bit. “Our main meeting room is just outside this door. We’ll be there when you’re ready. I can introduce you to the others. Oh and I’m Nicky by the way.” 

“Neil,” he said as Nicky was on his way out.   
He didn’t dare move until he was completely alone again, testing his legs out. They were stiff, protesting a bit against the sudden movement. It took him a bit of pacing back and forth before they felt semi normal again. As always, he instantly checked his backpack, making sure it hadn’t been tampered with. These days, just as his mom taught him, nobody could be trusted. Even while Andrew had been talking to him, Neil had been scoping out the room, checking where each potential exit was. He still analyzed even as he was heading out of the room, though he paused by the doorway when he heard voices. 

“Nicky, what the fuck? Did you offer that bitch our food?” 

“Yeah, I mean, I hit him with my car, Seth! It’s the least I could do, god. Am I not allowed to show a bit of kindness in this hell??” 

“Not to a complete stranger!” 

Even as he made it to the main room, he stopped in his tracks and surveyed the area and the people in it. If Nicky had been telling the truth about everyone being there, there were nine of them. Andrew was the first to stare, literally a second after he appeared and gave him a warning look. He didn’t move from his spot at the small table, obvious dirt stains on his clothes now that Neil could properly look him over. His eyes actually widened when he noticed another sitting nearby who looked exactly like Andrew. Twins, maybe? He prayed the other one wasn’t the same as him. There was Nicky, of course, chatting with a really tall guy who wore a friendly smile as he was chopping up carrots along with a girl on the other side of him. Two other girls sat on one worn beanbag chair rather closely: one with long blonde hair with dark roots showing, the other with short chopped hair in a rainbow of colors. There was another one glaring at him, though he was much taller than Andrew, that Neil pointedly ignored in favor of staring at someone else he recognized all too well. 

Kevin? Kevin was here? Neil remembered him as a star exy player before all this shit happened. He was, in a word, amazing. Probably one of the better highlights of the nightmare Neil’s life had been so far. They were young when they had met briefly. Neil doubted he would recognize him, but a part of him kind of hoped he would. Ignoring everyone else, Neil started to walk forward toward him, but a tug to the collar of his shirt stopped him. Blue eyes met brown as Andrew held his collar so tightly, it was almost digging into Neil’s throat. 

“Woah there, junkie. Did I say you could approach any of us? We don’t even know you.” Andrew said, being sure that he could feel the knives beneath his arm band. 

Neil felt like his knees were about to buckle when Kevin turned and looked right at him with a questioning glance, seemingly unphased by Andrew’s actions.   
“Oh..hi. Did you need something?” he asked, though there was an edge to his voice. 

“Let him go, Andrew.” A soft voice made them all turn their heads, and Neil saw the rainbow haired girl staring the blonde down, quickly joined by the tall guy Nicky had been talking with though his smile was gone. Much to Neil’s surprise, Andrew obeyed, letting him go with a huff as he went to sit down again.   
“Sorry about that. I’m Renee, and this is Matt.” She gestured to the guy next to her who gave Neil a wave. “And that’s Allison, Dan, you already met Nicky, Andrew, his twin Aaron, Seth, and Kevin.” A few nodded and waved, though Andrew, Aaron, and Seth didn’t change the way they glared at him. 

Neil gave them all a cursory glance before finally saying, “Hey, I’m Neil. Uh..sorry for being such a bother. I’ll be out of your hair soon.” 

“Oh, really? Where will you run to next? Gonna go find another car to hit you and finish the job?” Andrew asked, cocking his eyebrow. 

“Andrew, quit it. He seems harmless. We are trying to make our sanctuary more like Jeremy’s, you know,” Dan said, walking up to Neil with her arms crossed. “You take all the time you need, okay? It’s dangerous out there.” 

“’Seems’ harmless, huh? It’s always the ones who seem harmless, Dan. How do I know he isn’t going to go right to his buddies and tell them about a new place they can raid? Not that I’d complain. It’d break the boring streak we’ve had so far,” Andrew taunted with a smirk

“Don’t forget we have limited resources. I told Nicky he should’ve left him there, and look, he’s fine,” Aaron scoffed with a rare nod of agreement from Seth. 

“That’s enough from all of you!” The chatter ceased as Kevin walked up to Neil, and Neil could feel his heart pounding a mile a minute at Kevin Day right there in front of him. It almost didn’t seem real. “Dan’s right. We should try to extend kindness to others like Jeremy, even if it ends up biting our asses later. If he does betray us later, we’ll pay that back tenfold. But for now, he’s a guest.” Even so, his analyzing glance at Neil was enough to freeze him in place. 

“Thanks, Kev. I was a bit too busy to add in.” Nicky walked up to place a few plates of food down at the table and playfully walked up to kiss Kevin’s cheek which Kevin answered with an eye roll. 

“Just don’t make a habit of picking up every sorry soul you run into.” 

“Sir, yes, sir!” 

The mood seemed to settle a bit now that there was food ready to be eaten. Neil took notice of the layout in which they all sat. He had inklings of Allison and Renee being..something with how close they sat, using a TV tray as a table. Aaron, Andrew, Kevin, and Nicky took the table. Dan and Matt at the couch, and Seth off by the corner. Neil accepted a bowl of the stew Nicky had made and sat on the floor near Allison and Renee. Renee had defended him after all. He was probably safest by her. He noticed Allison stealing glances at him every now and then, though her attention was held by Renee rather well. 

“Soooo, Neil, right? I know we’ll probably like never see you again, but I’m always curious about newcomers or passersby since Andrew and Aaron scare off most of them. Where do you come from? How you handling the apocalypse? What did you do before all this crazy shit happened?” 

Neil could already feel his head spinning from all the questions, trying to come up with fabrications on the fly out of habit. 

“She’s just curious is all. You don’t have to answer all those questions,” Renee added with an apologetic smile. 

“Well, I..came from Maryland.” It wasn’t a whole lie, but Neil wasn’t about to get more specific than that. “I was, well, a nobody really, nothing special. I was traveling with my mom for a while but..well, we got separated obviously. Just trying to survive, you know?” 

“Aren’t we all? I’m sorry, dude. We’ve all had our losses too,” Allison said with a sigh, resting her head on Renee’s shoulder. 

“We call this little safe haven ‘The Fox Den’ by the way. We’re connected with a bigger one that a person named Jeremy Knox runs. You should really think about going there. He accepts anybody seeking shelter if you need a place to go that’s not here. I’d say you’re welcome here, but..well, guess that’d have to be worked out with..a few others.” She gestured to the twins and Seth. 

“Thanks but..I’ll be fine.” The mere thought of settling in one place honestly frightened him. It went against all of his instincts. He was better off running even if his old pursuers weren’t after him anymore, though he highly doubted it. 

Beforehand, Neil hadn’t noticed how hungry he had been, and he couldn’t recall the last time he had eaten warm, freshly cooked food. The stew in his bowl was gone within a minute as he ate it, though Allison and Renee paid that no mind as if they were used to it. Neil turned his head when he heard footsteps coming awfully closet to him and saw the one called Seth glaring down at him with focused honey brown eyes. 

“The leech done with his food yet?” Seth’s tone was threatening, but Neil met it with a blank stare. 

“Seth..” 

“Don’t, Allison. I’m only protecting our little place here. We don’t even know this guy, so the sooner he leaves the better.” He didn’t like the admiring look he had given Kevin, either, fucking Kevin of all people. 

“Did you forget what ‘be nice’ means, Seth?” Matt shouted over from the couch, though he looked like he was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. 

“Fuck off, Boyd.” At that, Dan looked like she was about ready to jump him too. 

Just as Neil was about to say something, the front door opening made everyone’s’ heads turn, though none of them made a move to get up. An older man walked in with a grunt which triggered a sing song “Welcome back, Coach!” from Nicky. He answered with another grunt as he dropped a bunch of bags onto the counter. 

“That’s David Wymack by the way. But we all just call him Coach. Sorta like..the boss of this place. He’s the connecting point between us and Jeremy’s place,” Renee whispered. 

When Wymack had walked in, Neil had visibly stiffened: memories of his father and other men hurting him flooded his mind for a second, but Renee’s whisper helped bring him back some. It didn’t help when Wymack looked him in the eyes a second with a questioning expression.   
“Oh, did you take in a newbie or something?” He directed it at Kevin. 

“He’s just a junkie Nicky hit with his car,” Andrew answered instead, a smirk crossing his face. 

“In my defense, I didn’t do it on purpose! I felt bad, so I brought him here for some food. I mean, he scarfed down the stew in like a minute. He was obviously hungry.” Nicky gave Wymack a pleading look almost like he was asking to keep a new pet. 

Wymack paused a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.   
“As long as he contributes and works, I don’t give a fuck if he stays here.” 

“Coach, I think-” 

“Seth, I don’t care. You all can figure this out. I want some goddamn peace and quiet. Goodbye.” Giving him no room to argue, Wymack grabbed a liquor bottle and promptly walked off to one of the backrooms with the sound of a door closing filling the silence. 

“Well, there you go, Seth. I, for one, think we could benefit from another person helping us out. Maybe if you didn’t bark so much, you’d make your life a lot easier,” Kevin said with a sneer. His posture remained the same even as Seth stomped up to him. 

“Shut the fuck up, Day! I will punt you into the sun, you smug bitch.” 

“Really? I’d really like to see that actually,” Kevin said back, standing up to meet his eye level. 

“Guys...” Matt looked ready to go at a moment’s notice, though he remained seated as if this was a regular thing. 

“Do that, and you’re going in right after him, Seth” Andrew warned, thrumming his fingers against the table. 

“Not talking to you, gremlin.” 

“Aw, Seth, you can feel free to direct that sexual frustration at me anytime.” Nicky blew him a kiss, and Seth visibly stepped back from Kevin as if the kiss had actually made its way through the air to him. 

“Sh-shut up, homo.” 

“God, you guys are irritating. I’m still trying to eat!” Aaron actually stood up and moved over towards Matt and Dan, making a space on the floor. 

Neil watched the whole thing, trying to find a gap in it to voice that the fact that he wasn’t staying anyway, but it was just one thing after another. 

“You know, it might actually be better if the junkie stays here. Then, I can keep an eye on him and be sure he’s not gonna rat us out to any unsavory people. He’s full of secrets after all.” It felt like Andrew’s gaze was boring right into him as he played around with his fork. 

Dan finally had enough, slamming her hands onto the couch as she got up and went to the middle of the room with a “Everybody just shut up for two seconds!” Seth and Kevin had started getting up in each others’ faces, but Dan’s voice seemed to pause everything for a moment. 

“Nobody has even asked Neil what he wants.” She took a moment to let out a breath and gave Neil a kind smile. “Listen, it’s gonna be getting dark soon. Why not stay the night and think it over. Despite what those assholes say, another helping hand would be nice around here. So, how about that? Deal?” 

Dan had the demeanor of someone one could trust. Her voice even softened when she addressed Neil compared to the command she just barked at the others. She had a point, and Neil’s current flashlight was..well, crappy to say the least. 

“Alright..I can make that work. I’ll..think about it,” he said, hoping that would at least end the chaos.   
The general mood seemed to die down after that with everyone resuming their usual things, and Seth finally backed off of Kevin when Andrew stood up from his chair. 

When he was alone in that room again with the door closed, Neil felt like he could finally relax, lying down on the bed with an “oof.” It honestly was a lot to consider. If his mom was still here, it would be a different story, but Neil was totally alone in this world now. There were some who could make it work, but he knew how being alone worked with surviving out here. He didn’t even know if his father and his goons were still after him or not. It didn’t have to be permanent. He could stay here a little while, and if something happened, he could run like he always did. Running was the one thing he could rely on: the one thing he was good at, well, and lying too. Here, he could be Neil Josten: a nobody who hardly mattered. Although, Andrew could be a problem. He was already figuring him out after just meeting him. There was also the fact that Kevin didn't seem to recognize him at all which...almost disappointed him. The thoughts made Neil tighten his fist. Another problem for another day. For now, he focused on sleep if only for a few hours of it. 


	2. Chapter 2

Neil woke up the next morning to the sound of pots and pans banging together, met with a menagerie of cursing and what sounded like someone kicking the wall. 

“What? Most of you are heavy sleepers. Just making sure you heard that breakfast is ready!” That was definitely Nicky’s voice if Neil remembered right. 

He finally managed to sit up with a groan, rubbing the sleepies out of his eyes. Yesterday in its entirety felt like a fever dream, yet he somehow remembered each and every one of them at least enough to recognize voices. He had to blink a few times to recognize the bedroom they had put him in. It was..different having slept in an actual bed. Neil had gotten used to the perpetual ache in his back from waking up on the ground. Yet, that ache was significantly less under the cushy mattress. 

Nevertheless, he was sure they’d be expecting a decision on his behalf soon. He had thought about it a little more before falling asleep, weighing the pros and cons. If anything, it’d give him a bit more safety in the meantime. He had no doubts that if people were still after him, they’d find him eventually and that would be that, but here, the zombies would be less of a threat at least, and it was something to do, a purpose of some kind. If anything, he could just run off in the middle of the night if it came to that. With a clear mind, he got himself up and dusted himself off before walking out there. 

The scene out in the living area was like some kind of organized chaos. There was Nicky busy in the kitchen with..one of the twins..he believed it was Aaron due to the lack of armbands, though he wore a similar pissed off expression as Andrew. Wymack was seemingly unphased by everything, busy reading something in the meantime while Seth and Kevin looked like they were about to fight at any moment until Allison walked between them and promptly elbowed Seth in the stomach. Dan and Matt were going over some kind of list that Andrew kept shaking his head at. It was the call that food was finally ready that quieted the whole scene. With everyone having some pancakes and berries, they all went silent with eating. 

Neil decided now was as good a time as any. With the creak of the door, all eyes were on him. Most, well, at least from the girls, were friendly while the twins and Seth showed him the same glares as yesterday. With a sigh, Wymack got up from his chair and walked over, offering Neil his hand.   
“Sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself yesterday. Had a busy day and didn’t feel like dealing with all of their shit.” He gestured to the rest of them which made Nicky scoff. “David Wymack, but most of these gremlins call me ‘Coach.’ I’m basically the connecting point of a few safe havens, kinda like a manager or..coach I guess. I help move supplies and organize things. The choice is yours, but any extra help, well, helps if you’re interested. The Fox Den is small, so we always need supplies of some sort. We’re lucky Knox is so generous with his own supplies.” 

“Would a more...temp answer be okay? I’ll stay, but..I’m not sure for how long,” Neil said, shaking his hand. “I’m Neil Josten.” 

“I don’t give a fuck how long you want to stay. I just needed some kind of answer to know what to expect,” Wymack said with a nod. “Well, it’s settled, then.” He turned back to the rest of them, focusing a look at Andrew. “He’s staying for now. Don’t scare him off, Andrew.” 

“Aw, Coach. I would never!” Andrew fake gasped, placing a hand on his chest as if he was insulted. 

“Just hurry up and eat, so you can tend to the garden. I need to take stock of our supplies, so go about your usual duties.” 

With that confirmation, everyone seemed to settle into their regular routines again. When Nicky shoved a plate of food in his hands, Neil stalked off to sit with Allison and Renee since they seemed the most..approachable. Seth looked like he was about to say something, but quickly decided otherwise when Renee looked right at him. 

“Good to have you on the team,” she said once Seth walked off, smiling as Allison fed her a forkful of pancakes. She acted like it was just the most normal thing in the world. “Allison and I deal with fortification and defense. If you want the chance to shoot some zombies, you can join us. We just pick ones off that come too close to the walls, save on ammo and all that. Andrew does most of the gardening, but..he usually prefers to be left by himself, says too much talking will bother the plants. If you don’t know much self defense by now, I recommend you do. I can teach you or Dan.” 

“I highly recommend Renee. She knows how to knife fight,” Allison added with a wink Neil’s way. “Though, Dan uses a mace to clobber zombies, soooo you can’t lose either way. All you need to know is to steer clear of Seth, Andrew, and probably Aaron, depends on his mood, and you’ll be fine. Mmm, maybe Kevin too. He has some weird protection pact with Andrew. If he sees you getting too close to Kevin, you’re likely to get stabbed.” 

“Well, he already threatened me with a knife, so I’ll keep that in mind,” Neil said, scratching the back of his neck. There were already so many rules to keep in mind, but the question was: would he follow them? 

“Then, just stick with Renee. She’ll keep them in line. She’s an angel after all.” Allison planted a tender kiss on her cheek. “Maybe I should tell you the established relationships too. I already told you Andrew’s weird thing with Kevin. Me and Renee are a thing, plus Dan and Matt, but they’re pretty chill. Aaron’s got a girlfriend, but she’s over at Jeremy’s haven. That’s probably for the best. Him and Andrew have some strange deal too. To sum it all up: we are a mess, so...sorry.” 

“It’s fine. I don’t really swing anyway. Never put my mind to it I guess,” Neil said with a shrug. What was even the point of it during an apocalypse, but he wasn’t about to judge. 

“Hmm, interesting. Don’t tell Nicky that. He’ll make it his mission to see if that’s true,” Allison giggled, hiding her smirk behind her hand. Her voice suddenly turned to a whisper. “I think Nicky has it bad for Kevin, though, I mean, who doesn’t? Buuut, I think he might be trying for Seth of all people. I used to date him, so I would know that he isn’t entirely straight. We have a running bet going.” 

“Don’t gossip to him too much, Allison,” Renee chuckled, gently coming her fingers through her hair. “But I guess there isn’t much better to do besides bet on these sorts of things.” 

Neil nodded as he took in the information. Being a fly on the wall/a newcomer seemed to have its perks. It’s not like he was overly interested in all this drama, but still, things to remember. This at least gave him some sort of purpose besides aimlessly wandering around from one deserted town to the next, and a safe place to stay until his past caught up with him. He watched as, one by one, they all filed out to their perspective tasks. Kevin went outside with Wymack, and Neil stared at the remains of the “2” on his cheek. It looked like he had tried to be rid of it by hand, though he hadn’t quite been able to get rid of all of the ink. 

When they went outside, Neil squinted a second as his eyes adjusted to the sudden sunlight. It looked like another day of clear skies with the sun blaring down on them. Renee proceeded to take him on a little tour, tough the compound itself was rather small. It shouldn’t be that hard to learn the layout. A tall chain link fence with barriers attached and a makeshift barbed wire on top surrounded the place which consisted of the main house and a storage shed. A few platforms were attached to the fencing, watching as Matt and Aaron stood on one with shotguns aimed. The relative silence outside was broken up by a few shots here and there. Outside of the shed was the garden area with various crops growing large and healthy. Neil was surprised to see the tender way Andrew cared for them, being careful where he watered and checking any that looked sick. It was a stark contrast from how he had dealt with Neil. 

“He likes the plants because they don’t talk,” Renee whispered to him as they passed by, sending a friendly wave Andrew’s way which he returned with a two-fingered salute and a glare at Neil. 

Kevin and Wymack were just outside the doors to the shed, going over some sort of list, and it looked like Seth was taking care of..burning the trash he guessed? He had a big pile going at the edge of the property by the fence, using cinder blocks as a border. Neil’s first task was polishing and sharpening knives with Renee and Allison. He actually found it to be rather relaxing, methodical. He noted the graceful way in which Renee twirled them around in her hands with practiced ease. 

“This group has a rhythm to it. I’m sure it won’t take you long to get it,” she said as she was showing Neil different ways to hold a knife. 

Neil nodded as he mimicked it the best he could. He wasn’t overly interested in learning, but it was best to go along with it for now. Still, he couldn’t help but glance over at Kevin when he had the chance. The guy had been a legend before. He thought that when all this shit went down, The Ravens’ haven would become a force for good like what this group was doing, but..well, it had been the complete opposite. The ugly side of Riko Moriyama really came out then. From traveling around, Neil had heard stories, and even in times like these, news traveled fast. Riko had disposed of Kevin for whatever reason, left him injured out in zombie territory and everything. Neil was sure he hadn’t survived when he heard the stories, but..here he was. He had to find some way to hear Kevin’s side of it, but every time he was looking at Kevin, Andrew was staring Neil down like he was prey. 

Finally, Andrew had had enough. Walking over, he kicked at Neil’s leg to get his attention, handing him an ear of unshucked corn.   
“If you have time to gawk, junkie, you have time to do your part. I have a whole pile of corn that needs shucking, and I’m much too busy to do it myself, plus I don’t really want to, so the work goes to the newbie.” 

It sounded more like an order than a suggestion. Still, Neil gave him a look, not moving from his spot.   
“I’ve never done that before.” 

“Oh, it’s real easy. I’ll show you.” Andrew didn’t give him a chance to answer as he grabbed his arm and literally dragged him over there where a basket was filled up. He made a show of yanking the green part off the cob and picked off any remaining pieces, carelessly threw it off to the side. “Like that. You can even use the knife, whatever your little heart desires. Just get it done. And quit staring at my things. You live and breathe trouble, and I don’t like it.” 

“Funny, I could say the same to you,” Neil grumbled but went to work. He could already tell his hands were going to hate him after shucking all this corn but if it would help the group.. 

“Think you’re funny, don’t you? A regular comedian right here,” Andrew laughed a bit maniacally. He made Neil pause a second as he grabbed a fistful of his shirt. “Don’t test me, junkie. You’re basically just an intern right now, and I think the zombies are getting hungry.” He left it at that as he went off to tend to the other plants, humming a tune to himself. Neil scoffed but went back to the task, staying alert of his surroundings. 

In his task of getting the trash pile built up, Seth wiped the sweat off his forehead, taking a breather for a minute. He even stripped out of his shirt, leaving him in just a thin tank top. As if it was a signal, Nicky instantly showed up, offering a glass of lemonade to him. 

“Ugh, what is it, homo?” Seth groaned, though he did accept the lemonade, instantly chugging it.   
He certainly had changed from how he used to be. Nicky noted it after him and Allison broke up plus the whole apocalypse stuff. He used to be so pompous and guarded, but it was like little by little, he was getting a bit better. He at least wasn’t using blatant slurs anymore, resorting to “homo” and “gay” now. There was also the threat of Andrew just straight up murdering him. Still, Nicky liked to think his constant pestering of him was doing something. 

“Just thought you could use a cold drink after working so hard,” Nicky replied with the kindest grin he could manage. “Looks like we’ll have a nice trash bonfire tonight.” 

“Riiight, you’re the ones causing all the trash,” Seth said with a roll of his eyes. “So, uh, how’re you holding up? I mean..you know, your fiancee being way over in Europe and shit.”   
In the midst of all the chaos, functioning stations and havens able to keep power going kept some Internet going too. Nicky only got a few chances to actually talk with Erik, but it was enough for him to know he was safe and sound. One thing Seth had gotten better at was noticing peoples’ behaviors and the reasons behind them due to the books Allison suggested he read. Looking at it now, it was no wonder Nicky always wanted attention. 

“Oh, fine I guess. I mean, I miss him like crazy...so much, but the few times I get to communicate with him are like treasures to me. He says that some have ships running. The second he has the chance, he’s going to travel over here and find his way to me. I told him I’d rather have him stay safe than risk his life, but he has faith in the few support systems we humans have been able to keep up after the world shut down. I guess it’s not actually too bad in some areas in Europe,” Nicky said with a shrug, though there was less of a shine to his eyes. 

“Well..fuck it. If he gets the chance, he should take it,” Seth said, shrugging it off like it wasn’t a big deal. He had to physically stop himself from punching Nicky in the gut when the other suddenly hugged him, not caring that he was all sweaty. It may have been just a noncommittal comment from Seth, but to Nicky, it was a treasure. 

“Seth..thank you. I have faith in Erik. Before, he gave up so much for me...such a selfless man,” he said with the hint of a sniffle before he pulled away and gave Seth his space. “Well, keep up the good work, big guy~ And try not to pick fights with Kevin so much!” 

Seth rolled his eyes as he went back to work, grumbling under his breath. 

For most of the afternoon, it was rather quiet with Kevin with Wymack and everyone else doing their prospective tasks, and Neil busy shucking the rest of the corn. 

It came to a sudden hault when a few hours later, there was the sound of an engine getting closer and closer. Like a switch, all of them took up positions with a few on the platforms. Andrew already had a knife out and ready. Kevin held up a hand for them to stand down when he saw a familiar motorcycle. The bike bore the symbol of Jeremy’s haven: a messenger. It looked like it was Alvarez. 

“What’s up?” Kevin asked through a slot in the gate, though the look of panic on Alvarez’s face wasn’t promising. 

“There’s been an attack on the sanctuary by Riko’s Ravens. They didn’t breach the walls at all, but they threw some kind of tear gas canisters inside. We figured we’d warn you guys in case they come for you next,” she called over, keeping a lookout for any zombies coming too close. “We’re holding up, but any extra medical supplies would be great. They used minor explosives too.” 

“Jesus,” Kevin muttered, hands clenching into fists. Riko was just pissed he wasn’t up to Jeremy’s niceness scale, the possessive fuck. “Yeah, hold on.” 

Wymack was already a step ahead, passing a few cases to Kevin who passed them through the gate.   
“Does he need any of us? We could send a few of us over for support.” 

“We’re a big place, Kevin. Don’t worry about it. But we’ll keep an eye on Riko’s activity. A smaller sanctuary wouldn’t stand a chance. That fucker is just too lazy to get his own supplies or be nice about it.” She made quick work of strapping the supplies to her bike before giving a salute. “Stay safe, Foxes!” Kicking up some dirt with her tires, she was off again in a heartbeat. 

The look on Kevin’s face said everything as he walked back to the others. Wymack stood there, hands on his hips.   
“Let me guess: Riko.” 

“They gave Jeremy’s place a little scare, though it was nothing major. Still, it sounds like people got hurt,” he said with a conflicted look. Andrew noticed the shaking in his arms, walking up to grab his arms in a reassuring gesture. 

“And you’re afraid he’s coming here next.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Riko’s a goddamn coward. He might come here, but he isn’t gonna do shit besides try to scare us.” Every head turned to stare at Neil as he stood there. “That’s how it works. He’s all talk unless he has you in his grasp.” 

“Wait..do you know Riko or something?” Dan asked, being the first to actually speak up as she walked up to Neil. 

“This junkie just keeps becoming more and more of a problem. Any other lies you want to clear up?” Andrew asked, focusing on Neil now as he paced back and forth like a wild cat. 

“I just know of him is all,” Neil said as if it was the truth. “I mean, you all can agree that Riko’s plans of attack are just scare tactics, right?” 

“He’s..not wrong,” Matt said, clearing his throat. He looked like he was about ready to pounce into action of necessary, given Kevin’s inquisitive look and Andrew’s pacing. 

“We wouldn’t be such a target if Kevin fucking Day wasn’t here,” Seth added, impatiently thrumming a finger against the fence. 

“Nobody asked for your input, Seth.” Kevin side eyed him, posture ready for a fight, and Nicky made sure to stand right between them. 

“Boys, please. Can we all just chill a second? Nothing’s happened to us yet, and we’ll be ready when it does. For now, all we can do is help out Jeremy as much as we can.” 

“Nicky’s right. Don’t go after each others’ heads for God’s sake,” Wymack sighed, rubbing at his temples. “We’ll be at the ready just in case, but for now, let’s get ready for a goddamn bonfire.” 

All of them, even Andrew a bit, seemed to accept that, going off to get ready. Seth still gave Kevin a death stare as he went off to get things to get a fire going. With a sigh, Neil walked over to lean against the side of the house. He was reminded of how much he needed to redye his roots every time someone so much as glanced in his direction, but there were bigger worries right now. As he thought, his eyes focused on the way the wind blew against the lone tree, watching colored leaves fly off of it in the process. Hearing approaching footsteps, he expected it to be Andrew after that little stunt, but he froze in place when he looked up to see Kevin studying him intently and crossing his arms. 

“Alright, talk. It’s obvious by the way you first walked up to me that you..know me or know of me I guess, and Riko too apparently. So, spill it.” 

Neil felt like he was being backed into a corner. Could he even say that every time he saw Kevin, he was reminded of that day back when they were kids? That he always admired him and hated Riko for what he did to him? What lie could he come up with this time? Neil swallowed dryly and waited for the right words to come. 


	3. Chapter 3

“I...” The first word came out dryly as Neil cleared his throat. This was going to believable, right? It wasn’t entirely...untrue. “Well, I’ve always been a big fan of you when you played Exy. I remember when you and Riko used to play on the same team. Then, the news came out that you had to step away because of your hand. Being as into it as I was, I knew an injury like that had to be deliberate, so I did some digging and..well, I know of all the shit Riko’s doing now. I mean, he staged an attack on a sanctuary, sooo, yeah. There’s your answer.” 

During an apocalypse, keeping his own secrets weren’t high priority anymore, but there were still networks. Even if the governments and infrastructure had collapsed, networks of people remained, especially the mafias. He couldn’t risk it, even now. He could still hear his mom’s words echoing in his head. 

Kevin gave him one more skeptical glance before accepting that with a nod.   
“Alright, fine. I suppose I can believe that.” Neil noticed the quick touch to his hand as he talked: faint scars running down where the injury had been. 

“And how do we know he’s not making all of that up, and he’s really a Moriyama spy?” As if he was summoned, Andrew appeared by Kevin’s side. “He came out of nowhere. We don’t know who he really is or where he came from.” 

“And here we practice innocent until proven guilty, Andrew. Wymack’s rules. Unless he does or says something to prove he’s a threat, you’re going to stand down,” Kevin said, glaring down at the blonde. 

“Bossing me around now? That’s not a part of our deal, dear, sweet Kevin.” Andrew’s grin was practically menacing, but he eventually backed off. “But I guess Coach is the boss around here, sooo, you’re safe...for now, junkie.” 

At that, Neil gave a nod and went on with his business, feeling Andrew’s gaze over him the whole time. 

  
At the incoming news, the whole place was a mess with everyone running about. The only one who was seemingly unaffected was Andrew who continued to tend to the plants as if nothing had happened. 

“We need to go see if Jeremy’s okay. We need to head over there right now,” Kevin barked as if it was an order, being followed by Seth whom Nicky kept at bay. Matt wisely kept Neil away from that for his own safety. 

“Will you all just shut up a moment??” Everything seemed to pause as Wymack yelled, clamping a hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Don’t lose your head over this.” 

“But Riko-” 

“It’s called scare tactics. Alvarez said there wasn’t much damage and no casualties. That attack was to incite fear, nothing more. Of course, it could’ve been a warning, but we’ll deal with that when it comes up. God.” Wymack grumbled something about needing a smoke and promptly stomped off, leaving Kevin there with trembling fists. 

It was then that Andrew finally got up from his task, making a beeline for Kevin. It was then that Nicky really pushed Seth back, though it only took a single tug on his shirt from Allison to make him shut up and go back to lighting up the fire. 

“Eager to go running back to Riko, aren’t you?” Andrew drawled with a bored expression, though the smirk on his face suggested otherwise. 

“What? N-no, I..” 

“Then, quite worrying about what he may or may not do. When shit happens, we’ll deal with it. Right now, we have this little place here to worry about. Jeremy’s a big boy. I’m sure he can take care of his own place.” 

Kevin stared at him for a good few seconds before sighing in defeat. He muttered a “fine” before stalking off to help set up chairs and such. Their haven here was small enough to stay under the radar of bigger groups, but thanks to their association with Jeremy’s, it wouldn’t take long for groups like Riko’s to take notice of them, and there was still that lingering regret: the person he had left behind there, not by choice of course. 

Nevertheless, the bonfire/trashfire was lit, and the rest gathered around for a bit of relaxation or an attempt at it, taking seats at the chairs set up. Neil took notice of the slight divide to the group: Andrew, Aaron, Nicky, and Kevin to one side, Matt, Dan, Renee, and Allison on the other with Seth leaning against the fence by himself. Neil took a chair that was just about right between the two groups. As the sun started to dip further into the horizon, the breeze became chillier and chillier as darkness took over the sky. By then, the fire was a nice warmth upon his face as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

Kevin gave Nicky a look as he glanced over at Seth and started to get up. The look Nicky gave back was equally as judgey as he took one of the cans of cider and walked over there. Seth’s reaction seemed more tired than angry at the intrusion, begrudgingly accepting the cider. 

“Dunno why you keep bothering me, Hemmick. I stand over here to be away from all the noise you idiots create,” he grumbled, taking a few sips. 

“Well, everyone deserves a bit of love, especially in times like this. Plus, that’s a sort of..thank you for earlier. Not being able to talk regularly with Erik is...well, really fucking hard sometimes, and it was nice to talk to you about it. If you’re ever in the mood, there’s always a chair for you...away from Kevin of course.” 

Seth merely rolled his eyes, but he didn’t outright deny the gesture.   
“I’ll think about it.” 

That seemed to be enough for Nicky as he happily waltzed away and sat down again. 

Wymack finally joined them, smoking a cigarette and standing by the fire. His gaze followed the glowing embers as they flew up towards the stars, same as where Neil was looking. It was something he had always enjoyed about fires. There was a beauty to them as much as the devastating power they had. However, the acrid smell of smoke also brought back some more..unpleasant memories, and Neil had to cover his nose a second to ground himself again. A familiar presence next to him was a nice distraction as he found Andrew plopping onto the ground next to him with a cigarette in hand. As Neil turned his head, he blew the smoke right in his face with a pleased smile. 

“So, junkie, enjoying the excitement so far? It’s been a while since something actually happened. It’s usually pretty boring here,” he said as if that was a bad thing. 

“Yeah? Well, I could use some boring in my life. It’d be a nice change of pace, but it seems I’m not gonna be so lucky,” Neil said, focusing his gaze on the floating embers again. 

“Oh? Does the junkie not wanna be a junkie anymore? Ready to hang up the towel? You definitely didn’t come to the right place. We’re in the middle of a goddamn apocalypse, you know.” Andrew closed his eyes a moment as he finished up his cigarette, smushing it into the ground. “You would’ve gotten a much warmer welcome at Jeremy’s place that’s for sure.” 

“Guess I got hit by the wrong car, then. I’ve never been very lucky, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise.” From the news of the attack, Neil was actually wanting to go there now more than ever, if only to have a chance to taunt Riko. 

“A blessing? Do I look like a damn angel to you?” Neil heard the sound of Andrew getting up, taken by surprise when he felt two fingers under his chin that made him turn his head to the left. “You do have a point, though. See that garden?” Neil merely stared at Andrew as he pointed over to the crops. “That’s my garden of Eden. If you even think about getting your junkie hands on my plants, you will wish you were out there with the undead.” The words oozed with a threatening venom, but Neil merely stared back at him with a straight face, nodding slightly. 

“Duly noted. Any other orders, captain?” 

Andrew let out a laugh that made everyone else turn their heads, finally letting go of Neil.   
“You know, you are funny, Josten. Maybe we can keep you here as our jester.” Giving a two fingered salute, he took his time walking back over to his chair.   
The interaction made Neil hug his backpack closer to his chest. He didn’t trust any of them, but he’d have to be extra vigilant on guarding his backpack with his life. Andrew was already taking an interest in him, one he wasn’t sure he liked very much. 

“Hey, Neil!”   
He turned his head when he heard Matt’s voice, seeing him gesturing him over along with an encouraging smile from Renee. 

Keeping his backpack close, he waddled on over to them, noticing the bag of marshmallows they were all huddled around. 

“Don’t worry. We’re not gonna roast them over this trash fire we got. Just gonna eat them,” Dan said, patting the empty chair next to her. 

“Yeah, we’re not complete savages,” Allison teased. Neil took note of her snuggling with Renee again. It was..well, cute. Affections and the like were something completely foreign to Neil. It’s not like there was much time to do anything like that out in what the world was right now, but he supposed in little pockets of safety like this, it was possible. 

“Sure, why not.” Neil took the open seat, taking one marshmallow and munching on it a while. The taste brought a smile to his lips. He had never been able to claim something good like this while scavenging, usually settling for whatever canned food he could grab. It brought back memories of..simpler times. 

“Ooh! I think this is the first time we’ve seen you smile!” Matt gushed, causing Dan to chuckle and smack his back. 

“I think Matt already wants to keep him,” Allison snickered with an approving nod from Renee. “Well, I’m fine with that. I think a fresh face around here will be nice.” 

Once the fire had been put out and darkness took over, they all headed in for the night, going to their perspective rooms. Neil was sure to go straight to his room for some much needed privacy. Although he couldn’t actually lock the door, he started digging through his backpack. He kept to the corner in case there happened to be any eyes watching him. At the very bottom, there was the money, though it probably didn’t have much meaning anymore. Looking through the small booklet, he took his time. He paused for a moment at the small Polaroid photo of his mom: the only physical image he had of her. When his eyes started getting wet, he quickly closed it and stuffed everything back into the pack. He kept it close to him even when he lied down in bed. In the back of his mind, he knew she was gone, but..there was also that doubt. The hoard had been huge, and her chances of actually escaping that unscathed were slim to none, but..he couldn’t help but think of the “what ifs.” It was those what ifs that eventually made him drift off to sleep, dreaming of an earlier time. 

The next few days went by in a blur for Neil. There was the added tension of the attack on Jeremy’s safe haven hanging in the background, but other than that, things went along at this place like they normally did. They mostly passed Neil along from person to person to learn the different tasks and how the place..sort of ran, though there wasn’t very much organization. Besides, Andrew usually sticking to his gardening, the others swapped doing different tasks, so Neil wasn’t stuck doing just one thing. He found it easy to gravitate towards Matt. The guy just oozed kindness and sunshine but was tough when he needed to be. Andrew was still a mystery along with Aaron. Neil couldn’t seem to do anything to make Aaron happy. It was either he wasn’t cleaning a gun right or he wasn’t doing this quite right, blah, blah. Eventually, Neil learned to ignore his criticisms and did his best. 

Next to Matt and Dan, Renee was the other one high on the kindness scale, though he found out in an impromptu self defense lesson that there was much more to her than he originally thought. She had flipped him over onto the ground effortlessly, offering him her hand with the same kind smile. Allison’s strength was in her words, able to talk nearly anyone down with zero fear. She only had to say one thing, and Seth was out of a temper tantrum and stomping off elsewhere. 

There was always the usual group that went out on patrols: usually Matt, Aaron, Dan, and sometimes Renee. If anything, Neil would’ve guessed that someone like Andrew would jump at the chance to go out and do some shooting, but he usually stayed behind gardening or taking out undead from the platforms on the fence. It was today that Wymack came up to him and plopped a handgun in his hands. 

“Alright, everyone here at least knows how to shoot. Now it’s your turn. Matt!”   
Matt came jogging over, giving Neil a smile. “Yes, coach?” 

“Take Neil out on a patrol and teach him how to shoot if he doesn’t know already.” 

“Of course! Come on, Neil.” 

Neil was more than happy to join him. He had only used a gun a few times which was...a while ago. He stuck to running away from the undead more than anything. When he was in charge of taking stock of weapons, he had notice things much more powerful than pistols and shotguns, even spotting one rocket launcher. He wondered what kind of attack would call for something like that. Matt had him grab some snacks while he got a Jeep they had ready to go. 

Neil let out an “oof” as he suddenly bumped into something. He stared down Andrew who had purposefully put himself in his way. 

“I’m going too,” he said to Matt, more so as a statement than a suggestion. 

Matt had frozen a second as if he was questioning if that was a good idea, but Dan gave a shrug.   
“Uh, sure. More the merrier I guess, but you better be nice to Neil. You haven’t made a great impression so far, Andrew,” Matt said as he finished packing everything. 

Andrew answered with a shrug and hopped in the backseat of the Jeep, checking over a shotgun.   
Matt’s look of concern didn’t change much as he started up the Jeep. Nevertheless, Seth begrudgingly opened the gate for them. Blasting “Bleed It Out,” they were off, past the gate and into the open land. Neil held tight to the seats as they went over bumps at full speed. Andrew seemed rather unaffected by it. Brandishing the shotgun with the end securely against his shoulder, he stood up and started taking out any zombies they passed by with some frightening precision. 

The wicked grin on his face made Neil question whether this was a good idea or not. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a bit of gore in this chapter

Andrew eventually tired of sharp shooting from the Jeep as they went down the road, and the air became eerily quiet save for the radio that Matt had turned down in volume. Neil watched as Andrew shrugged his shoulders and rotated the one that had been taking the brunt of the force from the shotgun. Neil never enjoyed watching zombies die, even if they were...well, zombies. They were all people once, and that held a weight to it that he supposed others didn’t care about. It was better to flee, in his opinion. 

“You a good shot at all, junkie? I didn’t spy a weapon on you. Are you some kind of pacifist or just plain stupid? I’m betting on the latter,” Andrew drawled, looking bored again as he got out a cigarette. 

“Andrew-” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Is having an unlit cigarette in my mouth a crime now, Matt?” 

Matt didn’t grace that with an answer, simply huffing and keeping his eyes forward. 

“I had a gun...once, but not for a long time. I usually just run. It’s easier that way,” Neil answered after a few seconds of awkward silence. He immediately covered his mouth as they drove past what looked to be a pile of rotting corpses. From the state of decay, they looked to be slain zombies. His horror only increased when Matt pulled the Jeep around about ten feet away from it. The stench of rotting flesh alone brought distasteful memories come flooding back: getting crowded by swaying, lifeless bodies, his mother screaming at him to run, the stench of blood, entrails... 

Neil had to practically jump out of the Jeep as he keeled over. He dry heaved but nothing came up, body trembling violently. As Andrew stood there and stared, Matt came rushing over. He hovered over Neil and gently rubbed his back. 

“Hey, you okay? I promise we won’t be here for long. We usually burn these piles when they get too high, but looks like this one was forgotten. So, I’m just gonna light it up real quick, and we’ll be on our way, okay?” Matt spoke softly as if he was trying to comfort a scared child. 

In his state, Neil only heard some of what he was saying, but it was enough to know what he was talking about. He simply gave a nod in answer. 

“Better get used to it, runaway.” The shift in Andrew’s tone made Neil glance up at him. It was almost...gentle. “It gets easier the more you experience life out here. As a nobody, you didn’t have to worry about shit like this, but we dispose of zombies out here. There has to be some kind of clean up crew, or their rancid blood will ruin the plants and landscape. Next time, I’m gonna have you light up the pile.” He made sure it sounded like a command with his tone and walked off to light up his cigarette. 

Matt made quick work of burning the pile while Andrew lazily dragged a few zombies he shot to add to it. With a decent amount of gasoline, the fire started quickly. Andrew whistled as it suddenly became an inferno with dark smoke in stark contrast to the clear blue sky. 

Oh, this....this was even worse. Neil quickly hopped into the Jeep in an attempt to escape the smell of now burning flesh, covering his mouth and leaning against the door. Still, he somehow managed to keep his breathing under control. Matt was quick on the uptake, getting the Jeep moving as soon as Andrew was inside too. 

“Don’t like burning smells either, huh? You’ve either lived a rather sheltered life or a nightmare,” Andrew commented with a passive expression. Still, he had waited for Neil to calm down some before saying anything. 

“That’s none of your business,” Neil muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Once they were clear of the fire, he breathed in as much fresh air as he could. 

“It is if it jeopardizes the safety of our group. I really don’t appreciate liars, Neil.” 

“Whatever. I’m not a threat,” Neil mumbled, taking to glaring out the window. 

“We’ll see~” The sing song tone in his voice made Neil grimace, and Matt promptly cut in to change the subject. 

“So, Neil, see that road?” He gestured to the road on the left they were currently passing. “That one will take you right towards Jeremy’s haven. It’s like an hour or so drive, but we’ll have to take you there soon. It makes our place look so small.” 

Neil glanced at the road. He had heard stories and whisperings of that haven. They said they’d take in anyone as long as they weren’t there with bad intentions. They said Jeremy was a good judge of character. Some even said he was some kind of seer. Of course, it was easy for people to come up with all sorts of strange tales about a place so far away, except now it wasn’t so far away.   
“Oh? Well, I’d love to see it. I’ve heard..a lot about it.” 

“Sure that’s a good idea, Matt? We hardly know anything about our little runaway here,” Andrew added, staring off at the scenery as well. 

“We can let Jeremy be the judge of that. You know he has a lot of experience with that.” 

Andrew had no further comment on that only saying, “Keep driving.” 

Matt eventually pulled off to the side of the road at a nearby field with a few zombies wandering here and there. By the looks of the other two grabbing their guns, this...was target practice. 

“Time to see if you’re any good at this,” Andrew said with a wicked grin as he hopped out, twirling the shotgun effortlessly. 

Neil was starting to feel sick to his stomach again, but he followed them. For a bit, he merely watched as Matt and Andrew picked a few of them off, gun shots filling the silence. Neil had noticed there were never birds around where zombies were besides a crow here and there. Any area with them was filled only with the groans of the undead and the wind. It was rather sickening watching their heads practically explode from each hefty shot with rancid blood staining the ground. 

It took him a moment to register that Andrew had placed the shotgun in his hands. He sucked in a deep breath as he brought himself back to reality. 

“Go ahead, junkie. You better not waste too much ammo.” 

With a shaky grip, Neil clutched the gun, positioning it with the end securely in his shoulder. The shaking of his hands didn’t help at all with aiming. He prepared himself for the recoil as he took his best shot. In fairness, the shot was close. It zoomed right past the zombie’s head, and only made it more alert to their presence as it started limping over. Neil breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t one of the sprinting ones. There was already an ache in his shoulder from the gun’s recoil ramming into it. Andrew clicked his tongue, casting a bored look over to him with a hint of irritation. 

“It’s okay! Just try again,” Matt chimed in, going over to join Neil’s side. Unlike Andrew, Matt was gentle in guiding the barrel of the gun in the right direction as Neil positioned it again after reloading. 

“Well, at least you know how to reload a gun which means you’re good for something. Congratulations,” Andrew drawled and waited to see what his next shot could do. 

Reloading a gun was like second nature to Neil. When he was with his mom, that was his job while she was busy shooting. He swallowed down a heavy lump in his throat as he focused. 

“Alright, the aim should be good. Now, suck in a breath and squeeze the trigger,” Matt said softly, taking his hand off of the barrel and keeping his other on Neil’s shoulder. As the shot rang out, Neil had to look away when the zombie’s head made a sick splattering sound as the bullet collided with its skull. Andrew whistled as it hit the ground, unmoving. 

“I mean, you had help, but decent,” Andrew dismissed. He stopped Matt when he went to resume picking off the rest of the stragglers, handing Neil a knife. “This is the true test.” 

“Um, excuse me?” Neil glanced from the knife to Andrew as if he was offering him poison. 

Andrew lazily gestured to a nearby zombie that looked to be falling apart: a weakling.   
“I want you to end its suffering with this, then we’re done for the day.” 

“Andrew, no. Neil’s still learning. That’s way too dangerous,” Matt interjected, inserting himself between the two. Andrew gave him a smirk as he twirled the knife in his hand. 

“Oh, Matthew. I’ve taken you out before, and I’ll do it again. It’ll be fiiine. We both have guns. If it tries to make a meal of him, we’ll just shoot it. No biggie. Relax. Out here, sometimes you have to learn the hard way. We can’t baby him.” Andrew pocketed the butt of his cigarette discreetly. Even in a wasteland, he’d stab anyone he saw littering. He easily shoved Matt out of the way and pushed the handle of the knife into Neil’s hand. “Do it, then we can go. I’m getting hungry.” 

Every fiber in Neil’s being was telling him to run. Zombies meant danger, and that instinct was well in grained in him at this point. As he started to walk forward, his legs ached against it, feeling a burning sensation in them as they protested. He grit his teeth as he made himself push onward. 

“Aren’t you tired of being a rabbit? This is your first step to becoming something formidable,” Andrew shouted which only made him furrow his brows more in concentration. Being a rabbit meant survival. Neil had seen the countless overly brave souls go against a hoard and ultimately lose, but this was just one weak zombie. He could handle it...maybe. 

The zombie’s weak groans almost made him freeze in place. He held the knife at the ready, watching as it visibly shook in his grip. Dead eyes zeroed in on Neil as it smelled him, trying its best to lurch forward at him and nearly collapsing on decaying legs. As he readied himself, tears formed at Neil’s eyes, remembering all the close encounters...the screams...the...   
When it got too close, Neil felt like his knees were about to give out. He hesitated too long as it grabbed onto his shoulders, mouth going for his neck. All he could manage were kicks to its stomach, feeling sick when his foot sunk into what was left of its stomach. Acrid blood and parts of intestines fell out with sickly sounds. Matt was about to shoot, but Andrew yanked his gun down.   
“Wait. Let’s see what the rabbit can do when he’s cornered.”

Neil let out a guttural scream as he planted the knife right in its forehead. The air was still for a moment. It only took a few sick shudders from the zombie before it collapsed onto the ground: still, almost peaceful in a way. Neil heaved when he saw the blood on his arms, puking whatever he had in his stomach onto the ground as tears ran down his cheeks. 

This time, Andrew didn’t stop Matt from sprinting over to Neil. He made sure not to crowd him, only giving his shoulder a light touch.   
“Hey, Neil, just breathe with me, okay?” He counted out loud as he breathed in and out. As out of it in shock as Neil was, he managed to follow him until he was able to stand up again. As they walked back, he wiped the tears and snot away, leaving Andrew to retrieve his knife himself. 

“Well, rabbit, you did it, and you didn’t get bit! And I promise you, if you do, I’ll give you a swift death. Sound good?” Andrew said with a smile on his face as he cleaned off the knife. 

“Yeah, sure,” Neil said shortly once he had caught his breath in the car. “Were you really just going to let that zombie bite me?” 

“Maybe I had faith in you, maybe I didn’t? What matters is you’re unscathed. Isn’t that enough, junkie?” Andrew grew bored of the conversation, not elaborating on anything else as he got back into the car with Matt. 

“Um, sorry about that, Neil...but you did a really good job. I promise we’re not going to make you do anything like that unless it’s an actual fight.” He gave Andrew a hard glare that the other simply shrugged off. 

“You and I both know you learn best by experience out here, Matt. So, don’t go griping when Neil jeopardizes a mission because he runs.” 

The rest of the ride back was silent save for the music playing in the car. Neil was able to think back on the whole thing as he calmed down. Despite the terror, actually fighting the zombie had been...exhilarating in a way, though it still made him sick to his stomach. Alone, it wouldn’t have mattered what he’d done, but now, he had others who would be counting on him. Glancing at the rolling fields, he clenched his fist and swallowed down another bout of nausea. 


	5. Chapter 5

The Fox Den was a mess of chaotic energy as preparations were being made to head to Jeremy’s haven. It was only a select few who were going, needing some to stay behind to take care of things. Wymack had elected to stay, having gone back and forth between the two so many times already. Kevin had been the very first to volunteer with Seth soon after with a pointed glare at Kevin. He wasn’t about to let stupid Day show him up and be a hero. Matt and Dan played rock, paper, scissors for it since both of them were raring to go. It was clear who the winner was by Dan raising her arms up in triumph while Matt pouted. It was unclear to Neil how this group even operated at all, but...somehow they made it work. He watched as Andrew walked up to Renee, discussing something with her for a moment before he gave an affirmative nod in joining in on this. 

“I thought you didn’t let anybody touch your plants?” Neil asked with a sigh. It seemed he wasn’t going to get away from him that easily. 

“Renee’s the only one I trust to take care of them. Disappointed, junkie?” 

Neil chose to ignore the teasing this time, focusing on the granola bar he was eating. He had had enough of these little tests. He found that working within the compound was much more relaxing, and it put him far away from burning piles of zombies. However, the change of scenery would be nice. Apparently, this other haven was much larger and more expansive. It must’ve been well run to keep things up and defend from attacks, namely Riko’s. 

“Alright, so it’s myself, Seth, Andrew, Neil, and Dan. That good?” Kevin asked to keep things rolling. He was practically shaking with anticipation to get going. Alvarez had said things were under control, but he couldn’t help but worry. Jeremy was someone he admired: a true, kind leader. That also made him a prime target to be taken out. After all, if the haven ever got taken over, he’d be one of the first to make an example of. With no objections or additions, Kevin clapped his hands together. “Good. We’re leaving today, then. Get your shit together so we can go.” 

“And of course he’d give us no warning.” Dan shook her head but smiled all the same. She gave Matt a quick kiss before heading off to pack, knowing she wouldn’t hear the end of the bitching from Kevin if she took too long. 

Neil hardly took any time at all. He simply pulled his backpack on, making sure it was secure to his person. It was his one possession and the most precious one. Even at night as he slept, he always kept one hand on it in a tight grasp with the ease of practice and instinct. 

“Don’t worry, guys! I’ll keep this little monster in line!” Nicky shouted from the front door as he ruffled Aaron’s hair. Aaron glared hard up at him, grumbling under his breath and swatting his hand away. 

In his short time here so far, Neil had come to the conclusion that the twins were more alike than he thought: they were both assholes. This was cemented in the fact that Aaron would continuously kick at the bathroom door when Neil was in there even just a minute longer than he would’ve liked. How Nicky never snapped at either of them, besides Andrew carrying knives on him, was beyond him. Still, he managed a wave back before Andrew promptly pushed him into the car as Kevin blared the horn. 

The ride there was..well, bumpy and fast. There were moments where Neil thought Kevin was going to run the car off the road but managed to swerve it back to its rightful place. The trip there was around an hour and a half, but it felt like an eternity. It consisted of Kevin and Seth inevitably getting into argument after argument, broken up by Dan whenever she got tired of it. 

Neil took to staring out the window and ignoring Andrew whenever he bumped his arm. He was hoping he’d get tired of it eventually, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Nevertheless, he watched as rolling farmlands slowly turned into more forested areas. It was a nice change of pace from the desolate urban wastelands and farm country Neil was used to. The haven itself was nestled near an expansive lake. The walls that surrounded it were made up of massive amounts of junk and rubble. It was actually..quite impressive. It was easy to spot the areas that had been bombarded by the attack as they were singed a dark color with piles of crumpled material on the ground. From the looks of it, they were already working on repairs. 

They were all jostled against their seats when Kevin hit the gas, wanting to get there as soon as possible. 

“Jesus, Kevin. I think they’re alright,” Dan said, rubbing the back of her head as she shot him a look. 

Even so, he didn’t let up until they were approaching the gate, slowing down to a crawl. As the gates opened for them, he was much more careful, slowly pushing the car forward. He parked at an old car port and was the first to hit the ground running. On the other hand, Neil was more careful as he exited, thoroughly checking his surroundings before moving. He couldn’t help but gasp as he gazed around at the haven. This place existed as if the apocalypse never happened. People were strolling around with untarnished houses and stores, even a downtown area. It was almost like stepping back in time. 

“Impressed, junkie? This is what happens when people actually stick together, though it was hard fought. After all, nothing can be gained without sacrifice.” Andrew made his presence known with a shoulder tap. He wore his usual bored expression, though his words spoke a different reaction: the very slightest of admiration. 

As soon as Jeremy spotted Kevin and vice versa, the two of them came running up on each other as fast as they could go. The scene was..touching really. Kevin was quick to wrap his arms around Jeremy in a tight hug, even spinning him around a couple of times. Jeremy Knox looked like the embodiment of some kind of sun god with his blonde hair, tanned skin, and smile. Though he was a bit taller than Neil by a few inches, Kevin still towered over him, making it easy for him to twirl him around. They spent a few minutes doing that like it was some sort of ritual. 

“Kevin! I’m glad you guys could show up. I know it’s a long drive.” Jeremy’s smile slowly faded, and that only made Kevin’s worry worse. “Something else..” 

“Something else happened,” Kevin said evenly, taking a moment to breathe as he held Jeremy’s hands. “What is it? Did Riko do something else besides fire bomb your wall?” 

“Well..I think it’s better if I show you. See, my scouts found someone out in the woods. He was badly injured, and we could tell they weren’t inflicted by zombies. They were too deliberate. He has..a number on his face like you..”   
Those words were enough to have Kevin bolting off in the direction of the building Jeremy indicated. It only took that vague description for him to know exactly who it was. He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or worried. Jeremy took after him next, leaving the rest of them to stand there and gawk. 

“Umm, what was that about?” Dan asked as if any of them had an answer. 

Seth merely shook his head with a “goddamn Exy stars” and took off after them. 

“They’re most likely headed to that medical building over there,” Andrew drawled, pointing over in that direction. Neil froze a second when he grabbed onto his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “No running off now, rabbit. I know this is a big place.” 

“You’re not my fucking chaperon,” Neil grumbled, knowing better than to try to rip his chin from his grasp. 

“You may as well be with your suicidal tendencies. Bet you’d go running at a hoard of zombies without a second thought.” Andrew’s smirk was only pissing him off more as if he knew he was right. 

“Ugh, you guys do your..thing. I’m going to see what’s up over there.” Dan rolled her eyes before walking off. She had fought with Andrew about all sorts of things, namely his social interactions, and she wasn’t in the mood for a brawl this time. 

Andrew regarded her with a nod, eyeing a nearby ice cream shop.   
“Go if you’re extremely curious to see what all the fuss is about. I’ll be over there.” He sauntered off without another word, leaving two paths for Neil. The reaction from Kevin had been worrying to say the least. It had to be something important, maybe even something to do with Riko. Keeping his backpack secure, Neil began the walk over there. His own instincts were unavoidable. His mind screamed potential threats whenever someone passed by a little too close. Neil reacted by whipping around and watching them until they were far enough away, earning concerned looks and sneers alike. Andrew watched him like it was today’s entertainment. This junkie really was hopeless. He was sticking out like a sore thumb already, but he didn’t have the patience for that right now. Right now, it was ice cream time. 

Kevin’s heart was pounding in his chest the whole way there, cursing under his breath. It had to be him. It just had to be. Even running, the old memories and regrets felt like a weight dragging behind him. He almost lost it at how many doors he had to slam open before he finally found him. His face was bruised and battered, but the number “4” on his cheek was unmistakable: Jean Moreau. Kevin crumpled over the side of the bed, searching for Jean’s hand as he held it tightly in his own like a lifeline. When Riko dumped him out into the wilderness on his own, Kevin feared he’d never see Jean again. He remembered all the nights they spent huddled up together in a bed, whispering for fear of being overheard and all the times Kevin hadn’t been able to protect him. He paused a moment to ensure that he was breathing, lowering his head so his forehead touched his hand. 

“This almost doesn’t feel real,” he said softly in French. “Mon cher.” 

Jeremy made to bolt in there after Kevin but paused by the doorway as he watched him. It felt like such a...sweet and intimate moment. He didn’t want to disturb it. Just as Seth was about to barge in, Dan promptly stopped him with a sharp tug on his arm.   
“Leave them be for now,” she whispered and pulled him back towards the reception area. 

“Oh, so now he’s all soft and kind for some dude??” Seth seethed, dramatically pulling his arm out of her grasp. 

“Did you forget about Kevin’s old team? He’s obviously one of them. God, would you think for just one second?” She was unwavering as she glared right back at Seth, ready to meet any challenge. She wasn’t about to let Seth’s strange grudge, probably a crush, against Kevin disrupt things. 

"Oh, so he cares because he's an old teammate. And what about us, then, huh?" 

During that mess, Neil snuck past them to the room, pausing by Jeremy as he saw Kevin and Jean. Of course he remembered Jean: the old back liner for the Ravens. He knew he had been owned by the Moriyamas, and he couldn’t imagine the horrors he had experienced. The only reason Riko would get rid of him was because he was of no use to him anymore. Being tossed out as zombie fodder was one of the worst fates someone could be put through. As Dan and Seth argued nearby, Neil and Jeremy waited patiently as Kevin was adamant to wait until he woke up. 


	6. Chapter 6

Despite the grim scene happening in the infirmary, this haven was...really something else. It was a city in its own right. What remained of the city before had been preserved and salvaged as best as could be managed with a glimpse of the ocean from over top the barriers thanks to a few tall buildings left standing. Neil also took note of just how green it was. There were gardens and trees lining the streets and atop the roofs: anywhere where they could fit them in. It would explain how they had a stable food source. It’s not like the Fox Den wasn’t well supplied, but the sheer size of this place made it seem so tiny. He chose to stick by Dan while Seth....took his anger out elsewhere.

“He’s a sweet guy. Trust me on that. He just...has an angry exterior, but he has heart, and that’s what matters,” Dan said as they walked along one of the main roads.

Neil also noted just how friendly everyone was. Most people they passed by waved, recognizing them as visitors. In a world like this, that was definitely hard to come by. On the outside, people were skeptical and kept to themselves for good reasons. He supposed when the basic needs and protection was met, people could...well, be themselves. The Fox Den was an odd situation in that. It wasn’t fully protected like this. It was on the fringes between safety and danger with only a fence to keep the zombies and trespassers out. Neil could’ve sworn that even the sun over here was just a bit brighter. He could feel its warmth permeating his skin. Even in a big place like this, it was rather easy to find Seth. The first thing he had done was grab the nearest Exy racquet and started chucking balls into a wall and catching the rebounds over and over again.

“Yeah, I get that,” he finally said as he collected his thoughts. It was just difficult to actually wrap his mind around this place. Safety and comfort were strangers to him. It was always grab what you could and get the hell out of there. “A world like this can turn the nicest people into some of the worst monsters, though I guess this Jeremy Knox would be an exception.”

“Heh, Seth was like that before all of this happened. I actually don’t think he’s changed very much despite the circumstances, but I find that almost comforting. In a changing world, he’s always a constant you can count on. Doesn’t mean he can’t change a little bit, though. He used to be an even bigger jerk, like calling Nicky slurs and all that jerk, but there was a time when we almost lost him to Riko Moriyama, or that’s what Andrew believes at least. Luckily, his buddies were smart and called 911 before the overdose could take him. Allison also moved onto Renee, and I think all of that put everything into perspective for Seth. He’s been less of a toxic jerk for the most part, and he’s a Fox. We’re all kinda fucked up in some way.” She gave them a break from the walk, patting the spot next to her on a bench that overlooked what seemed to be a farmer’s market going on. They also could catch glimpses of Seth still angrily catching his own rebounds with a curse word every now and then. “And you’re right about Jeremy. I don’t know him as well as Kevin does, but from what I do know, he’s always been a nice guy. Hell, their team was awarded every year for sportsmanship. He aimed to make Exy about having fun and being kind. He’s a good soul, and now more than ever, the world could use more of those.”

“They’re also the ones more likely to get killed off or taken advantage of in a world like this,” Neil added. He had to play devil’s advocate here. Kindness was nice and all, but things were easier to understand when they were realistic. Realism always made more sense to him. “It’s smart of him to put barriers around this place. People naturally help each other, sure, but there are also a group of people who love to just cause chaos. I can imagine with no society and rules to bog him down, Riko’s having a field day. The way you described Jeremy, I can see why Riko would target this place.”

“You talk as if you know him,” Dan noted, leaning forward to rest her arms on her thighs, peering up at Neil. There was definitely more to him, but she wasn’t about to push him for information. She wasn’t Andrew. “Neil, you don’t have to tell me anything, but if it concerns the safety of my group and the Fox Den, then please tell me anything. We can hold our own, but I know Riko keeps a powerful group. He’s definitely a threat, though I think the trick is to get him alone.”

Neil thought about it a moment. He had just met these people. Trust was a fragile thing not easily earned in his eyes, but...this was a world where everyone was struggling. The strong ones were the ones in groups. The loners were the ones that got killed off either by the zombies or the renegades.

“Riko’s easily set off by words. He talks big game, but his ego is fragile. If we ever need to fight his group, just remember that.”

He was expecting her to press, but Dan laid off of him with a nod, sitting back with a sigh.

“Thanks. Every little bit helps. Us, the Foxes, we help each other out like they do here. Never be afraid to ask for help when you need it, Neil.”

“Awww, are we having a heart to heart talk over here, Cap?” Andrew came waltzing up with a popsicle in hand, eating it before it melted in the sun. He merely stared Neil down until he finally scooched over so he could sit down. “And you guys left me out of it, huh?”

“We were letting you have your fun, Andrew. I know you have a sweet tooth, and you only get the occasional ice cream back at the Den,” Dan said, going back to her usual demeanor.

“How generous of you, Captain. I imagine Seth is destroying public property currently?”

Neil felt like he was experiencing whiplash listening to this casual conversation between the two of them. So far, he knew Andrew as an individual who didn’t really like company, enjoying killing off zombies more, yet here they were. He mostly stayed quiet as they talked, processing the current situation. He supposed Andrew was...encouraging in his own way. Neil didn’t appreciate his forceful way of going about things like teaching him how to shoot zombies, but he couldn’t fault him on his hard to read nature.

“Seth’s actually using Exy practice as a means to blow off steam surprisingly enough. Maybe we should all play a scrimmage soon. We have that dirt patch we can use as a make shift court, or I’m sure there must be an old court somewhere in this haven,” Dan said, gesturing over to where she could hear the sound of the ball echoing off the buildings.

“Aw, you know I’m quite enjoying this apocalypse because of its lack of Exy, right? Buuut, I’m sure you’ll bribe me somehow. What about you, rabbit? You like Exy?” Andrew jabbed at Neil’s arm to get his attention even though Neil was fully aware of the conversation. He made it a point to tug his arm away from Andrew and folded it over his chest.

“I...used to play,” Neil answered with his posture still rather stiff. He squinted his eyes at Andrew’s amused smirk, and it wasn’t long before he gave his popsicle a lick and patted Neil’s head as he stood up again.

“Well, well, another Exy nerd. Kevin’ll be ecstatic. I got something else to check out. See ya, Captain, Rabbit.” Soon, Andrew was off on another lone escapade towards the farmers market with a wave and a chuckle.

“He’s actually better than he was before if you can believe that,” Dan chuckled with a smile at Neil’s look of disbelief. “He was! He’s more or less evened out after not being on his drugs for so long, but Andrew’s still Andrew. His mood’s just more stable. If anything, he’s just a tad more bearable, but I can’t fault him on his loyalty, especially to that garden of his back at the Den. He will stab anyone who comes near it without permission sans Renee.”

“I’ll, uh, take your word for it,” Neil chuckled, actually cracking a slight grin, which Dan took notice of.

“I’d get used to him if I were you. Once he’s taken an interest in someone, it’s hard to get rid of him.” She paused as she both heard and felt her stomach growl. “But first things first, let’s go find some food. They’re bound to have a lot of good stuff here. We should take advantage of it while we can. Let’s try to grab Seth on the way. He might just be hangry.”

Neil figured it was more of a statement than a question and stretched before following her over towards the sound of rebounds.

It took about an hour or so, but Jean finally started to flutter his eyes open, groaning and furrowing his brows. His limbs all felt so...heavy, and there was a dull pain still throbbing in multiple places. As soon as Kevin noticed, he was right by his side, holding his hand with wet eyes. Jeremy was over on his other side, though he kept a respectful distance to let these two have their moment.

“K-Kevin?” Jean asked in a raspy voice when he saw him, not sure if this was actually real or not. Was he...alive..dead? He still wasn’t sure.

“Jean...” The crack in his voice was noticeable, but he kept a level head for him with a few sniffles. He continued in French. “Mon ami..you’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you anymore. You made it to a safe haven. Everything’s alright now, Jean.” He almost broke down again when he focused on the “3” on his cheek: a painful reminder of their past.

“A safe haven? I don’t...remember. I limped as far as I could...and then I passed out but..I really made it? This isn’t some kind of dream?”  Jean asked, opening his eyes a bit more. He slowly reached out for Kevin, cupping his cheek as if to make sure he was actually there. Kevin placed his hand over his with the gentlest touch. Having to leave him behind was one of his biggest regrets, but he was here: beaten and battered, but he was here and alive.

“Yes, mon cher. You’re here. This is real. Tell me...if you can, what happened?”  Kevin wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to speak a word about it. After all, he had seen what Riko could do first hand. True, a lot of it had been because of Tetsuji, but still, to have all of that done to a person they deemed as mere property...

“It...it wasn’t like you where he actually kicked you out. I ran off on my own after a...particularly bad beating. I was just...so tired of it all, Kevin. Everything felt so hopeless. I was on the verge of taking my own life. I guess...going out into the open where the zombies could get me was a way of doing that, but...well, obviously I’m still alive,” Jean said, lying back against the pillow again. His body was exhausted and in pain, but still, he managed the slightest of smiles for Kevin. There was so much more to talk about, but right now, he just wanted to savor this moment. He noticed Jeremy Knox standing there, though he gave the two of them some space, and boy, he certainly looked like the sunny leader of a haven like this. When he noticed Jean staring, he finally walked forward and patted Jean’s hand.

“It was my team that found you and just in time too. There was a hoard not too far away. We’ll take care of you as much as you need here, and you can decide if you want to stay or wherever you want to go once you’re ready, okay?” Jeremy flashed one of his famous smiles and gave the two of them some space. As he walked off, he clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. Riko had hurt far too many people at this point. Someone had to do something, and if that someone was him and maybe the Foxes, then...fuck it, he would.


End file.
